We Outlasted Pharaoh, Nazis, and Soviets—Antisemites Are Next
David M. Simon argues that while antisemitism poses a grave threat to Jewish communities and free societies, history shows such hatred can be defeated despite requiring significant sacrifice.
The battle against this resurgent evil will demand significant sacrifice and resolve, yet the Jewish people have prevailed against far worse throughout millennia of persecution.
For thousands of years, Jewish communities have faced relentless waves of persecution and attempted annihilation. The Egyptians enslaved the Jewish people, while Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and forced exile. Alexander the Great and later Roman forces conquered Judea and the broader Land of Israel, with Alexander’s Greek Seleucid successors attempting to compel Jews to abandon their religious practices. Romans destroyed the Second Temple in a campaign of subjugation.
Medieval Crusaders massacred Jewish populations en route to Jerusalem and within the holy city itself. Periodic mass killings swept across the European continent. England expelled its Jewish population entirely. The Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions brought waves of persecution and expulsion. Russian Cossacks carried out brutal pogroms.
The twentieth century brought even more devastating threats. Nazi Germany orchestrated industrial-scale genocide. The Soviet Union pursued systematic oppression. Arab dictatorships, particularly in Egypt and Iraq, targeted Jewish communities. Since the 1920s, Palestinian groups have sought Jewish destruction, a campaign continued in recent decades by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Iran’s Islamic regime has made annihilation of Israel a central objective.
The United States has represented the most tolerant, prosperous, and free society Jews have ever inhabited. Throughout most of American history, antisemitism steadily declined, with recent decades marking a golden age for American Jewish life.
Yet this progress has reversed sharply in recent years, particularly over the past decade. Leftist antisemitism has metastasized on college campuses, exploding into widespread and frequently violent hatred following October 7, 2023. Simultaneously, right-wing antisemitism has spiked, propelled by Tucker Carlson and others following the historical pattern of demagogues like Henry Ford and Father Coughlin.
Despite overwhelming odds, Jews, Israel, and the free world have repeatedly overcome these forces of hatred and destruction.
The human cost has been staggering—millions dead and countless more suffering physically, financially, and emotionally. Nevertheless, across the long arc of history, Jewish communities have increasingly flourished while most of their persecutors have been relegated to history’s dustbin.
This proven track record should strengthen resolve and counter despair in confronting modern antisemitism, Simon argues. It also illuminates the essential strategies for defeating this evil.
Keys to Overcoming Antisemitism
Jewish communities must take pride in their religion and cultural heritage. The storied history of Jewish success stems directly from these traditions, which must be embraced and preserved.
The justice system must aggressively prosecute and impose significant punishment for antisemitic crimes. Civil liability should be pursued for other illegal antisemitic conduct, and illegal discrimination and harassment must be halted. These legal tools have proven particularly effective in protecting Black Americans against the Klan and other violent racists, and should be applied with equal force to protect Jews from antisemites.
Most critically, Jewish communities must build alliances with those who recognize that fighting antisemitism and supporting a strong Israel capable of self-defense aligns with the broader struggle for individual liberty, tolerance, free markets, and American national security.
Jews constitute merely 2% of the United States population and an even smaller 0.2% of the global population. Prevailing against antisemitism requires embracing and collaborating with those who share core values. Evangelical Christians, dating back at least to Billy Graham and extending to supporters worldwide in recent decades, have proven invaluable allies. Political leaders and influencers including Winston Churchill, Arthur Balfour, Harry Truman, William F. Buckley, Jr., and President Donald Trump have provided essential support.
Every Passover, Jews read that in every generation enemies will arise seeking destruction. Yet history teaches, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., that we shall overcome.
David M. Simon is a Chicago-based lawyer and writer.
With information from Washington Examiner
